World's Largest Pork Processing Plant Found in "Egregious" Violation of Labor Laws

IMMIGRANTS & EMPLOYMENT

Immigrants' Employment Rights and Remedies

WORLD'S LARGEST PORK PROCESSING PLANT FOUND IN "EGREGIOUS" VIOLATION OF LABOR LAWS
Immigrants' Rights Update, Vol. 15, No. 1, Feb. 28, 2001

An administrative law judge issued a 436-page opinion on Dec. 15, 2000, finding that the Smithfield Packing Company's slaughterhouse in Tar Heel, North Carolina, engaged in "egregious and pervasive" violations of the National Labor Relations Act. The violations arose from two separate union organizing drives conducted throughout the 1990s during which 11 employees were fired by Smithfield for supporting the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW). The ALJ also found that the company threatened many other workers and improperly interrogated them about union activities, including attempts to intimidate immigrant workers by claiming the union would report them to the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

The ALJ ordered reinstatement and back pay for the 11 workers who were wrongfully discharged. Results of the most recent election, which saw workers voting against unionizing by a 63 percent margin, were set aside. Given the level of intimidation, the ALJ also ruled that any future union elections must be held outside of the plant, and possibly outside of the county, since Smithfield Packing is so influential there.